Timor's Foreign Minister on the impact of the UN peacekeeping drawdown

As both the United Nations peacekeeping mission and the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force draw down from East Timor, the country's minister for foreign affairs and cooperation, Jose Luis Guterres, reflects on the impact on the young nation.

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MARK COLVIN: East Timor's foreign affairs minister Jose Luis Guterres says his country is ready to take full responsibility for its own security.

This week the remaining soldiers in the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force, or ISF, began pulling out of East Timor.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission will also leave by the end of the year.

The UN handed control of policing back to East Timor more than 18 months ago but the drawdown means there's no longer the safety net of back up from UN police.

Jose Luis Guterres spoke to Sara Everingham.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Minister, with the United Nations leaving and the Australian-led peacekeeping force leaving, is East Timor ready to go alone?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: Yes, we have been saying this that Timor-Leste and our institutions in general are ready to take care of security and maintain the stability that we have achieved up to now.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Are you concerned the UN leaving could leave East Timor more isolated?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: Timor will be not isolated but we will continue to reinforce the cooperation with Australia and Indonesia, also with New Zealand.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Are you concerned at all about what economic impact there might from the UN withdrawing?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: We did together with the United Nation and the United Nation also did a study in which they said that the impact on our economy will be minimal.

The United Nations members, when they are here, they don't spend all their salaries here so they spend the minimum possible in the rent in housing. Also right now many businesses also are coming to Timor-Leste.

It doesn't affect so much our economy.

SARA EVERINGHAM: What about employment?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: Yes, employment. Some of the people, like security guards that were employed by United Nations, for sure they will lose their job as well as some professionals that are working with the United Nations.

Some of the professionals are really excellent professionals. Our institutions will try to integrate them in our different ministries, different departments but some we are also trying to give them additional training in other areas that the industry needs today.

But as a new country we don't have all the capacity to absorb everybody.

SARA EVERINGHAM: How do you think people generally here are feeling about the UN leaving and the Australian-led peace keeping force leaving?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: The feeling is that it's time. It's time for us to take care of our security and if you look at the crime rate in Timor, it's much less than many countries in the world, much, much less.

SARA EVERINGHAM: How do you think the Australian-led peace keeping force has performed here?

JOSE LUIS GUTERRES: They did excellently and from the bottom of our heart we want to spread our profound gratitude for what they have done to contribute to peace and stability. We are deeply grateful.